1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of control devices associated in particular with automobile vehicles. More particularly, the present invention concerns control devices located near the steering wheel of a vehicle as well as steering columns provided with such control devices.
2. Description of Related Art
The task of optimizing the positioning of control devices in a vehicle often involves the dual objectives of facilitating convenient access to the control devices on the one hand and avoiding the user having to let go of the steering wheel or avert the user's eyes from the road on the other hand. It is known that a control device can be constructed for activating/deactivating functions, particularly of an automobile vehicle, comprising:                a housing in which is produced a contact surface, making electrical contacts,        a control member selecting and confirming a function with the actuation of electrical contacts, the control member being mounted rotatably on an axis of rotation and pivotably about a pivot axis separate from the axis of rotation, rotation and pivoting of the control member making it possible to select a function and to confirm the selected function respectively.        
There is known, for example, through document EP-1 251 536, a control member mounted rotatably on a first axis of rotation and pivotably on a pivot axis orthogonal to the axis of rotation. In this device, the two axes are co-planar, and the pivot axis is embodied by a trunnion mounted in a complementary receptacle integral with the housing and arranged under a supporting plate comprising an electrical circuit. The device also has a control member traversing the supporting plate. Unfortunately, such devices necessitate the use of a large number of parts and entail relatively complex assembly procedures insofar as some of the parts in such devices must traverse the supporting plate. This often gives rise to high costs. Moreover, the use of stepping-down by a gear system in such devices inevitably results in the presence of hysteresis and play in operation and assembly, contributing to complexity in the assembly process and decreasing reliability in the use of such devices.